MINNEAPOLIS — Yanic Konan Niederhauser was instrumental in leading the Penn State Nittany Lions to a 69-60 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday, scoring 24 points in the effort.

The Gophers initially established a strong lead at 24-15 after Lu’Cye Patterson hit a 3-pointer with nine minutes left in the first half. However, they struggled offensively, managing only two free throws by Dawson Garcia for the remainder of the half. The Nittany Lions took advantage of this slump, scoring the final seven points of the half and finishing with a narrow 28-26 lead at the break, largely thanks to Konan Niederhauser’s 14 points.

Though Minnesota regained the lead at 35-33 shortly after halftime by successfully making their first four shots, their momentum quickly evaporated. The Gophers went cold, failing to score for a 6.5-minute stretch during which they missed nine consecutive attempts. This slump allowed Penn State to unleash a 13-0 run, with Konan Niederhauser contributing six points, pulling ahead to a 46-35 advantage.

Demonstrating dominance through a remarkable defensive stretch, the Nittany Lions only conceded 11 points over a significant 17-minute period. They maintained a comfortable lead of ten points or more until the final three and a half minutes of the game. Minnesota then mounted a surge, netting six free throws and executing an 8-0 run that trimmed the deficit down to three points at 60-57 with 1:44 remaining.

To secure their victory, Penn State responded with a series of crucial free throws from Ace Baldwin Jr. and Nick Kern. Konan Niederhauser sealed the game with a dunk-and-one, capping off a strong showing. Baldwin contributed with 10 points and seven assists, while Freddie Dilione V also added 10 points for the Nittany Lions, who improved to a record of 15-13 and 5-12 in the Big Ten.

For Minnesota, Femi Odukale led with 15 points, and Garcia recorded a double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Patterson, Mike Mitchell Jr., and Isaac Asuma each chipped in with 10 points.

With this win, Penn State has now achieved back-to-back victories after a streak of seven losses. Looking forward, Minnesota is set to host Northwestern on Tuesday, while Penn State prepares for a Wednesday matchup against Indiana.